This invention relates to warp drawing machines. Particularly, the invention relates to reed openers used in warp drawing machines for spreading the dents of a reed to permit entry of a warp drawing needle therebetween so that warp strands can be drawn through the reed. A typical warp drawing machine is provided with supports for heddle frames carrying a plurality of heddles, the reed, and a carriage arranged to travel longitudinally of the heddle frames and reed. The carriage is provided with mechanisms for selecting and positioning heddles and a reed opener for spreading the dents of the reed to facilitate drawing a warp strand through the reed and the eyes of the heddles.
In existing warp drawing machines, the reed opener is typically in the form of a single thread screw which by its rotation successively opens the dents of the reed by spreading the dents sufficiently to permit the needle to pass therethrough. Such a reed opener is shown in Howard D. Colman's U.S. Pat. No. 1,589,587. This single thread forms a cam surface which successively engages individual dents of the reed and deforms the engaged dent to spread adjacent dents in response to rotation of the reed opener.
In existing reed openers, the single thread screw or cam surface is formed from a single piece and has the disadvantage of being costly to manufacture. A further disadvantage is that different reed openers must be used to accommodate reeds having different spacing between dents.
There has long been a need for a reed opener which can be manufactured at low cost and which is adaptable for use in connection with reeds having varying dent spacings.